Siraya language, deemed ‘extinct’ over a century ago, finds its voice again in Taiwan

Tainan, Taiwan — In a remarkable revival of a language once deemed extinct over a century ago, Uma Talavan, an Indigenous Siraya activist, has spearheaded efforts to breathe new life into her people's ancestral tongue. For her entire life, Uma has known she belongs to the Siraya community, though her ethnicity had been obscured by centuries of forced assimilation, leaving her with only fragments of her linguistic heritage.

Driven by a quest to discover her true identity, the 79-year-old activist undertook the ambitious task of revitalizing the Siraya language, nearly two centuries after it had vanished from daily use. "Language is the heartbeat of a people," Uma asserts. "It serves as a bridge between our past and present, allowing us to reconnect with our roots."

After more than two decades of tireless advocacy, Uma's relentless pursuit has culminated in a significant milestone: securing legal recognition for the Siraya community as Taiwan's 17th Indigenous group. This momentous occasion was marked by a solemn ceremony held on July 30, attended by Uma, her activist father Wan Cheng-hsiung (also known as Cheng-hiong Talavan), and other members of the Siraya community.

The Siraya, one of Taiwan's Austronesian-speaking Indigenous peoples and the largest of the Pingpu groups traditionally inhabiting the island's lowland plains and coastal regions, have a storied history that dates back to the Dutch colonization of southern Taiwan in the 17th century. As the first contact point for the Dutch, the Siraya people witnessed the dawn of a new era that would forever alter the course of their existence.